Telstra submits new plan to split telco

The competition watchdog says Telstra has submitted a revised plan to split the telecommunications giant's retail and wholesale arms.

Acceptance would bring the full rollout of the national broadband network (NBN) a step closer.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said the revised plan submitted by Australia's largest telecommunications company had taken note of worries the watchdog had about transparency measures and the monitoring of compliance measures in the telco's structural separation undertaking (SSU).

"This further version addresses those drafting issues raised during the recent consultation process," ACCC chairman Rod Sims said in a statement on Thursday.

The approval of the SSU by the ACCC is the final barrier to Telstra beginning the migration of its customers to the federal government's high speed NBN, when the network could access Telstra's pits, ducts and exchanges.

There could be an outcome within the next fortnight.

Telstra chief executive David Thodey said the revised plan came after public consultations and the telco had responded to issues raised by the ACCC following previous consultations.

"I am pleased the ACCC has acknowledged that their concerns have been addressed and I noted their commitment to consider the SSU promptly," Mr Thodey said in a statement.

The ACCC said it did not propose further consultations.

A decision could be expected shortly, it said.

ACCC commissioner Ed Willett told AAP on Thursday the watchdog's decision to regulate wholesale ADSL broadband across Australia last week was a separate issue to the SSU.

He said it would not influence the ACCC's final decision on the plan to split Telstra.

NBN Co, the government-owned builder of the network, said the approval of the SSU was the last major condition required to complete its definitive agreement with Telstra signed in June 2011.

"When the definitive agreement is finalised, it will be a major landmark for the project, and give us certainty that the rollout can proceed as planned," an NBN representative said in a statement.

Earlier on Thursday, communications minister Stephen Conroy said the government and NBN Co were on the verge on the scaled-rollout of the $35.9 billion network.

"Once you see that, you will see the rollout accelerate and accelerate," he told reporters in Sydney.

NBN Co plans to roll out fibre-optic cable to deliver high-speed broadband services to 93 per cent of Australia's 13 million homes, schools and businesses by 2021.

Fixed wireless technology will provide high-speed internet to four per cent of premises, and the remaining three per cent will be supplied by two satellites to areas outside the reach of the cable and wireless networks.

Mr Willett said ACCC still had some work to do before it could decide on an Optus plan to shut down its hybrid fibre-coaxial network (HFC) networks.

Optus agreed to shut-down its HFC networks in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane as part of its agreement with the government and NBN Co last June.